First time depositors or users of ReShare must first register with the UK Data Service using federated access management user authentication via Registration. Use your UK HE/FE institutional login credentials (institutional username and password), after selecting your institution from the drop-down list.

If you do not have a UK HE/FE institutional username/password, apply for a UK Data Archive username and password. Use those to log in to the ReShare using federated access management user authentication, selecting the UK Data Archive as institution.

After registration you can go and login to the ReShare repository.

When I try to login to ReShare, I am sent to the UK Data Service registration page, although I have already registered, what do I do?

This can be either when you want to deposit a data collection or want to download a data collection. If you get stuck in a loop from ReShare to the UK Data Service registration page, please close your browser (all tabs), clear your history and cache. Then try to login again. Else, try to use a different browser.

Can a colleague upload data files for me?

Yes, a colleague or research assistant can submit data collection information and upload data files on your behalf, as long as this person has registered with the UK Data Service. If you have already created your data collection and want a colleague to continue editing and uploading files, then please ask us to transfer the ownership of your data collection to your colleague.

How should I prepare my data for deposit in ReShare?

All data and accompanying documentation can be prepared following the instructions in the ReShare help guidance.

Particular attention should be paid to:

whether data need to be anonymised

whether you have permission to share research data - this may depend on consent and confidentiality agreements

whether copyright permission needs to be sought with regard to data ownership

ensuring that data files are well documented and described so that users can understand and interpret them

creating a ReadMe file for your data collection

How do I upload data files?

After providing descriptive information for your data collection and the people responsible, you can start to upload data and documentation files:

browse your hard drive, CD or removable drive for a file or enter a URL from where a data file can be retrieved

A data list gives a tabular overview of a collection of interview transcripts and/or recordings or other qualitative data items. It typically lists the data items in the collection (e.g. transcripts), some characteristics of the people that were interviewed (gender, age, profession, expertise), the reason they were selected for interview, and when and where the interview took place. It helps re-users of the data collection to easily understand and find relevant transcripts or items within a data collection. An example dataset with a good data list. Further guidance is available.

What is essential documentation to upload?

ReadMe file

questionnaire form or data dictionary for survey data

interview schedules and questions lists for interview data

methods descriptions to understand how your data were collected

consent forms and information sheets

What happens if I only have documentation but no data?

For ESRC grants we still encourage the deposit of study materials such as fieldwork method instruments and methods documentation, even if the data cannot be made available. Documentation should be chosen as the material type when uploading these files.

Your data will be reviewed by our staff before we publish them, to make sure that they are not disclosive, nor unusable and well documented for future uses.

How do I publish my data in ReShare?

After completing all mandatory metadata fields and uploading your data and documentation files, deposit your collection for review. We will publish your data after they have been reviewed.

How do I manage my data in ReShare?

You can review the status of your data collection on the 'My data' page. Once a data collection has been published and you need to upload further data files, a new version should be created for the data collection. After deposit this is again reviewed before publication.

Who can access my data?

Metadata records and documentation files. As a depositor you can decide the access level for your data files. You set this for each file after uploading the file. Access options are:

open data are accessible to any user without registration

safeguarded data are accessible only to users registered with the UK Data Service

permission access requires specific authorisation from the data owner (depositor) to release the data to a user

We give each data collection a persistent identifier in the form of a DataCite Digital Object Identifier (DOI). This DOI uniquely identifies the particular data collection, and ensures that it will remain findable when cited.

How do I download ReShare data?

Access to datasets depends on the access level that the depositor has set for each file. In general documentation files are openly accessible to all users and can be downloaded without registration. For data files three access levels exists:

open data are accessible to any user without registration

safeguarded data are accessible only to users registered with the UK Data Service; you will automatically be directed to the login / registration page when downloading such file

closed access data requires specific authorisation from the data owner (depositor) to release the data to a user.

How do I request access to data that have closed access?

Follow these steps to request access:

Email the contact person for the data collection and cc in the ReShare inbox to get permission to be granted access to the data collection. Ensure your email explains why and how you want to use the data collection;

Once we have confirmed your registration and the permissions email from the depositor granting you access to the data we will encrypt the files and send them to you using the Essex ZendTo service.

When I try to download a data file from ReShare, I am sent to the UK Data Service registration page, although I have already registered, what do I do?

Please close your browser (all tabs), clear your history and cache. Then try to login again. Else, try to use a different browser.

For my research I collected twitter data; can these be deposited with the UK Data Service as evidence for my research and for future re-use?

We are discussing the permissions to accept such data. For now deposit tweetIDs, userIDs and timestamps, but not the textual tweet content or further details about the person sending the tweet. Detailed information is available in the Preserving Social Media report.

Is the upload of data files into ReShare secure?

Yes, data files are uploaded to ReShare via an HTTPS connection.

Should consent forms be destroyed after a research project?

Consent forms should be kept for as long as the research data are retained (by the researcher or an archive). The original consent forms can be digitised and stored securely (encrypted), permitting the originals to then be destroyed securely by means of shredding.